


I'll Always Be Here

by aceschwarz222



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Awesome May Parker (Spider-Man), Movie Night, Peter Parker Feels, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker is a Good Bro, Precious Peter Parker, Snow Day, Snowed In, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-13 23:04:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16901496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceschwarz222/pseuds/aceschwarz222
Summary: Tony Stark feels lost and broken, and he doesn't know why. All he knows is that he needs to get to Queens and make sure Peter Parker is okay. Even if it means going through a snowstorm to do it.In other words: Tony Stark needs someone to hold him together, and Peter is right there waiting.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HEY FRIENDS!! So that Avengers trailer...
> 
> I hated seeing Tony all alone, so I wrote this as a kind of response to that. You're looking at one angst-filled chapter, one slightly angsty chapter, and one full of pure fluff. One part will be released each day this weekend, so you won't have to wait long for the conclusion.

Tony couldn’t say what made him do it. 

There was absolutely no logical reason why he threw on a measly sweatshirt and sweatpants and headed out in the middle of what was supposed to be the most epic blizzard of the season.

There was no logical reason why, at 10pm, he took a car out of the the Tower garage and started driving.

There was no logical reason why his heart rate was through the roof and why he felt like he was losing the things he loved the most.

There was no reason why he felt like he was drifting alone in space and running out of oxygen, in danger of suffocating in silence forever.

None.

And yet, for some reason, he was shivering in front of an apartment building in Queens, willing himself to do something, anything, instead of just standing there. His arms were wrapped tight around his body as he shuddered. Thick snowflakes drifted lazily from the black sky, dusting his shoulders and hair before melting into cold water.

“Mr. Stark?” a voice asked softly.

Tony looked up and saw Peter Parker standing under the overhang of the building. The teen’s eyes were wide with concern, and they traveled up and down Tony’s ragged form before he stepped out onto the sidewalk.

“Peter?” Tony whispered.

“Yeah,” Peter nodded. He rubbed his arms with his hands and let out an involuntary shiver at the cold temperature. “What, uh...what are you doing here?”

Tony paused. What was he doing here? His breath inhaled sharply as he hugged himself tighter, and he looked at Peter with wild eyes.

“I...I don’t…” His tongue felt heavy in his mouth as he tried and willed the right words to form. “I j-just needed to...needed to s-see that you’re okay.” That felt right, and he nodded his head. “I just needed to see that you’re okay,” he repeated, his voice barely audible.

Peter thought about all the times Tony had comforted him during a panic attack and took a cautious step towards him. He reached out a hand, and when Tony didn’t flinch away, Peter let his palm touch his mentor’s shoulder.

“I’m okay, Mr. Stark,” Peter assured him, his voice calm and even.

And for some reason, Tony believed him.

He believed the boy with ruffled hair and big, brown eyes. He believed the teenager who was made of pure goodness, who helped people because it was the right thing to do. He believed the kid who would sacrifice it all if it meant saving just one person.

Including Tony himself.

“K-K-Kid,” Tony choked out, his voice cracking. He could practically feel his body split apart, but just as he was about to lose himself forever, a pair of strong arms wrapped around him, keeping him whole.

Peter Parker put everything he had into the hug to keep Tony Stark from vanishing.

“It’s okay Mr. Stark,” he soothed as the man cried into hair. “I’m right here. I’ve got you.” He repeated the phrases over and over like a prayer as he felt Tony’s heart beat wildly against his chest. Peter was shivering, but he bit his lip because this time, Tony Stark needed him.

And he was going to be there.


	2. Part 2

Peter wasn’t sure exactly how long they stood out in the snow, but his lack of thermoregulation was catching up. Just as he was debating on his next steps, Tony pulled away and cleared his throat. 

“I, uh…” Tony stuttered. “I should go.” He tried to give his trademark confident smile, but it barely reached his eyes.

Peter shook his head and gently grabbed the hem of Tony’s sweatshirt sleeve, pulling him towards the warmth of the apartment building. Every part of Tony screamed at him to run away. That he was bad and everything good in his life died, and Peter would eventually be next.

But despite all of the darkness raging inside of him, he let Peter lead him through the main hall and past the broken elevator. Tony followed him faithfully up the stairs and into the apartment he shared with his aunt. The place was dark and empty except for the blue light coming from an infomercial on the TV in the living room. Peter only briefly paused to turn it off before bringing Tony into his room.

Tony let a small smile escape as Peter kicked away piles of dirty laundry and pushed Lego sets towards the outer walls. Peter grinned back, but his smile quickly faded when he saw Tony still shivering, his lips beginning to turn a pale shade of blue. He opened his closet carefully so he didn’t startle the man and pulled out a ridiculously familiar pair of pink, fuzzy Hello Kitty pants and a Stark Industries sweatshirt.

“You need to change,” Peter ordered gently. “I’ll come back in a couple minutes.” He blinked a few times, almost testing to make sure Tony didn’t disappear before finally leaving and closing the door behind him.

Once Tony squeezed his hands in the soft material, he realized just how cold he was. It was like his body had burst through a fog, and suddenly, everything around him was clear and in sharp focus. He shrugged off his wet clothes and shoes and relished the feeling of the new, dry material against his skin. He looked up as Peter knocked tentatively on the door.

“Come in,” Tony said, his voice solid.

Peter turned the knob and came back inside carrying a huge blanket and fuzzy socks with cats stitched in the fabric.

“I put these in the dryer,” Peter explained, holding up the socks. “They’ll feel really good against your feet.” He handed them over, and Tony practically groaned at the warmth that seeped through his skin. Peter unfolded the blanket and placed it over the bottom bunk bed as Tony leaned against the wall and put on the socks.

“Bottom bunk okay?” Peter asked once Tony had finished.

Tony’s face burned with shame. It was bad enough that he had broken down in front of Peter’s apartment. Now, the teen was trying to take care of him when it should always be the other way around.

He couldn’t do it.

Tony cleared his throat. “Thanks, kiddo,” he said, “but I really should get-”

“Mr. Stark,” Peter interrupted firmly, “is the bottom bunk okay?” Tony’s eyes were met with a familiar, stubborn glint, and his heart swelled with pride at this kid who wasn’t even his.

Maybe he could do it.

“Yeah,” Tony whispered. “It’s okay.”

Peter nodded, his nose scrunching up a bit like it always did when something went his way. He pulled the blanket back for Tony like a parent would for a child, and Tony obediently crawled underneath it. He let out a deep breath as the blanket was tucked up under his chin, and he closed his eyes. Exhaustion crept through his body, and his vision blurred as he struggled to keep his eyes open. His world was plunged into darkness as Peter turned out the lights, and Tony could feel the bed shift as the teen climbed up to the top bunk.

“G’nigh kid,” Tony slurred as he lost his battle to sleep.

Peter opened his mouth to say goodnight, but he thought of something else instead. “Mr. Stark?” he called down quietly.

“Hmm?”

“I’ll always be here for you, okay?”

Tony smiled as his body relaxed and sleep took over. “Okay,” he mumbled. He let out a deep breath. “Okay.”

Even though Peter knew Tony couldn’t see him, he nodded firmly at the ceiling.

“Okay.”


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this didn't post last night!! 
> 
> Enjoy some fluff to (hopefully) make up for it!

One thing that May Parker truly enjoyed was telling her nephew that he had a snow day. She had known it was coming as she struggled to make it home after her shift got off at midnight. The snow had already built up to her ankles, and it was coming down even harder by the time she had made it home and collapsed into her bed.

When she had woken up to Midtown’s text alert saying school was cancelled, a huge smile split her face in two. The first snow day of the season was special, and she was actually off of work for once to enjoy it with Peter.

She eagerly bounced over to Peter’s door and flung it open. “Peter!” she sang, “Guess wha-”

“SHHHH!” Peter hissed back at her.

May’s eyes automatically went down to the bottom bunk where Peter normally slept, but the person under the blanket was not her nephew. Peter was sitting on the top bunk, his book for English opened up in his lap. The person in the bottom bunk stirred and shifted under the blankets, revealing the scrunched up face of none other than Tony Stark.

May and Peter both held their breath, but Tony merely sighed before his face relaxed once more. May glanced up at Peter, and he held up a finger, signalling her to wait. He rolled his shoulders a few times and reached up and touched the ceiling. Once he was sure he had a good grip, he gently swung his legs up and let his feet catch on the ceiling. The bed barely shifted as he crawled across the room and unstuck with a quiet “thud” in front of May. He ushered her outside before closing his door so Tony could keep sleeping.

“Morning May,” Peter said quietly, pulling his aunt towards the kitchen.

“Okay, first of all,” May replied, “that was really weird and cool at the same time. And second of all, why is Tony Stark sleeping in your bunk bed?”

Peter shrugged his shoulders noncommittally, not wanting to reveal Tony’s breakdown. “He just, uh-”

“I had a bit of a rough night,” Tony said from behind them. May and Peter whirled around to find Tony standing in their hallway, looking absolutely hysterical with his Hello Kitty pants, oversized sweatshirt, and messed up hair. “Peter helped me through it and wouldn’t let me leave. I wonder where he gets that stubbornness from?” There was a glint in Tony’s eye, and May chuckled.

Peter let out a huge sigh of relief. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Tony gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I’m okay.” An odd silence hung in the apartment before Tony cleared his throat. “So, snow day, huh?” Tony finally asked.

Peter’s face brightened immensely. “It’s a snow day?!” he exclaimed.

May laughed and nodded. “That’s what I came in to tell you.”

“YES!” Peter shouted, pumping his fist in the air as he jumped up and down. “And you’re not working today, right?” May shook her head. “DOUBLE YES!”

“Go get a shower,” May giggled. “I’ll make breakfast.”

Peter gave her a quick salute and dashed off to his bedroom. May and Tony heard him rustling around, and he then he was off and running towards the bathroom. “Mr. Stark!” he called. “Snow days here are the best! You’re going to love it!” Then he shut the door and started the shower.

Tony chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Actually, I...I should get going.”

“Yeah, not happening,” May replied, turning away from him to get food out from the fridge. She pointed towards the window as she began to stack an insane amount of food on the counter. “Go take a look.”

Tony walked over to the kitchen sink and peered outside. He gasped when he saw a huge blanket of white covering everything. Nothing had been cleared yet, but he could hear snow plows off in the distance. His eyes searched for the car he had driven the night before, and he scanned over the street three times before he recognized his familiar black Audi. The snow reached to his driver’s side window, and Tony knew there was no way he was getting out anytime soon.

“I can call a suit,” he reasoned, already grabbing his wrist. But there was an empty spot where his watch should have been, and Tony realized he must have forgotten to put it on in his haze last night.

“Face it, Tony,” May chuckled, “you’re stuck here today.”

“YES!” Peter shouted from the shower. Tony forgot about his super hearing and realized the teen must have listened to the entire conversation.

“Eavesdropping is rude!” Tony yelled with a smile on his face.

The shower quickly turned off, and the bathroom door opened as Peter stuck his head out. “So it saying no to Aunt May’s snow day breakfast!” He slammed the door shut, and Tony turned to May with raised brows.

“Snow day breakfast?” he asked.

May nodded sagely, as if she were about to bestow some great honor on him. “Oh yeah,” she said dramatically. “There’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world.”

Tony couldn’t help but grin. He was already here, and he felt calmer than he had the night before, so why not?

“Yeah,” he replied, “I’ll stay.”

 

* * *

 

“Do you wanna build a snowman?” Peter sang as he packed the snow tightly together. He placed the huge ball on top of his creation and poked eyes and a mouth on his snowman’s face. “It doesn’t have to be a snowmannnnnn!” he continued, his voice going up a few octaves. He swung his arms out dramatically and was rewarded with a face full of snow. “Argh!” he yelped, shaking the snow off him like a wet dog. “Mr. Stark!”

Tony held up his hands defensively “What?” he asked. “It wasn’t me!”

“Oh yeah?” Peter shot back, crossing his arms over his chest. “Who was it then?”

Tony had no shame ratting out May, who was standing near her own snowman pretending to whistle and look everywhere else but Peter’s face.

“May!” Peter gasped dramatically. “How could you?” He held a hand to his forehead and let himself fall to the ground. The snow was so deep that he practically disappeared. “Betrayed by my own aunt!” he wailed, his voice muffled from being buried.

He popped his head up after a few seconds and May winked at Tony. He took that as his cue to toss the snow he had been gathering right over Peter’s head. The teen yelped and practically flew out of the snow as some of it got stuck between his jacket collar and neck. He wiggled and jumped around, flinging snow on both Peter and May. When he had finally calmed down, he set his sights right on his mentor.

Tony recognized the mischievous glint in his eyes as the teen knelt down and began packing the snow into a snowball.

“Parker…” Tony threatened, already trying to back away. “Don’t you dare…”

The snow still hadn’t been cleared yet, and the boots he had borrowed from Peter were a little bit too big. His foot got stuck in the snow embankment and he nearly toppled over. Just as he caught himself, Peter landed a direct hit on Tony’s chest, causing him to tumble over and plop right in the middle of the deep snow.

“Whoops!” Peter called out, unable to hide a chuckle.

“You’re toast!” Tony yelled as he tried to get back up. But each time he tried to lift himself, the snow gave way, and he fell back down again. Peter finally took mercy on him after the third failed attempt and reached out a strong arm to help him up.

Tony felt Peter shake despite wearing thick gloves around his hands. When he glanced up, he noticed the teen’s lips turning a pale shade of blue.

“Cold?” Tony asked.

Peter nodded jerkily, the temperature finally catching up to his lack of thermoregulation. “A-A-A lit-lit-tle,” he admitted.

May hobbled over and pressed a kiss to Peter’s temple. “I think we’ve spent enough time in the snow for one day, huh?” she asked.

“B-B-But,” Peter tried to protest.

Tony shook his head firmly. “No buts. You need to warm up.”

“Hot chocolate, popcorn, and Christmas movies for the rest of the afternoon,” May ordered.

Peter’s expression brightened up considerably at the mention of food, and it took Tony a second to remember the kid’s lightning-fast metabolism. Even though Peter had eaten his way through eggs, bacon, french toast, and fruit during May’s “snow day breakfast”, he had been galavanting through the snow for the better part of the afternoon. He had put on three layers of sweatshirts under his jacket and two pairs of pants, but the cold had to have permeated his armour by now.

“Marshmallows?” Peter asked May hopefully as they walked back inside.

“Of course!” she exclaimed.

Once they got inside, May started boiling water before going off to change. Peter handed Tony the MIT sweatshirt and sweatpants he had accidentally taken from the Tower a few months ago when DUM-E had dumped an entire fruit smoothie on his own.

“Sorry, Mr. Stark,” he said sheepishly. “I forgot to give it back.”

Tony grinned and took back his clothes. “No worries, kid.”

After they changed and got their popcorn and hot chocolate piled high with marshmallows, they all sat on the couch to watch a random, cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie. Tony was surprised to see Peter clutching a stuffed llama to his chest as he curled up in no less than five fuzzy blankets.

“Since when do you like llamas?” Tony whispered as May scrolled turned on the TV.

Peter blushed as he pulled his blankets up to his chin. “You put it in the microwave,” he explained, “and it stays really warm. It helps a lot, plus it’s kind of adorable.”

Tony vowed to buy three of the things and stash them in the Tower if Peter ever needed it while he was there. It was the least he could do after Peter helped him out.

“Found it!” May exclaimed triumphantly. “Looks like the next movie is about to start.”

“I wonder what this one will be about?” Peter asked sarcastically.

“Hmmm,” May hummed, pretending to think. “A big city girl has to go back to her small town for some task that just has to get done right before Christmas.”

“She leaves her boyfriend behind,” Peter continued with a grin, “who is kind of a jerk but she loves him anyway.” He looked up to Tony, expecting him to continue the story.

“Then...uh…” Tony stuttered, “she meets a different guy?” Peter nodded encouragingly. “And...and then she realizes what an idiot her boyfriend is?”

“Of course!” Peter exclaimed. “And then she and small town guy spend time with each other…”

“And eventually dumps the big city guy,” Tony adds.

“Ooo!” Peter exclaimed. “Bonus points if big city guy goes to visit the girl and gets in a fight with small town guy.”

“And finally, after all that drama,” May said dramatically, “the girl realizes what true Christmas spirit is about.”

“The end.” Peter finished before erupting into a fit of giggles.

“Spoiler much?” Tony joked, wrapping an arm around Peter as the beginning scene of the movie began to play. May reached over and tangled her hand in Peter’s curled, and the teen sighed contentedly.

“The best part about Hallmark movies is knowing exactly what’s going to happen and then watching them anyway,” Peter replied, leaning back against Tony’s arm.

Tony smiled lightly as he turned his attention to the movie. The events of the previous night seemed like a distant memory, and he practically melted into the couch, completely at peace. “Hey Peter?” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

“Hmm?”

“Thanks for everything.”

Peter gave Tony a kind smile, reminding the man how lucky he was to have this kid in his life.

“Anytime, Mr. Stark.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not passing judgement on Hallmark movies at al!! I watched them religiously every Christmas :P
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!!


End file.
